Fir Creek (Bull Run River tributary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fir Creek |
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Fir Creek
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Bull Run River watershed
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 Location of the mouth of Fir Creek in Oregon
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Multnomah and Clackamas counties |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Mount Hood National Forest Clackamas County, Oregon 45°27′36″N 121°57′07″W / 45.46000°N 121.95194°W |
| River mouth | Bull Run River Multnomah County, Oregon 1,089 ft (332 m) 45°29′26″N 122°01′41″W / 45.49056°N 122.02806°W |
| Length | 5 mi (8.0 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 5.46 sq mi (14.1 km2) |
Fir Creek is a small stream, about 5 miles (8 km) long, in the state of Oregon, United States. It flows into the Bull Run River. This creek is an important part of the system that provides clean drinking water to the city of Portland.
Fir Creek flows through a special protected area of the Mount Hood National Forest. This area is located in Clackamas and Multnomah counties. The creek eventually joins the Bull Run River at the start of Bull Run Reservoir 1. This meeting point is about 14 miles (23 km) from where the Bull Run River meets the Sandy River.
Where Fir Creek Flows
Fir Creek begins in the Mount Hood National Forest in northern Clackamas County. It starts very close to the border with Multnomah County. The stream quickly flows north and crosses into Multnomah County.
After entering Multnomah County, the creek turns west. It then slowly curves to the northwest. Along its path, it flows under Forest Road 1211. It also passes a special measuring station, called a USGS stream gauge. This station is about 0.6 miles (1 km) from where the creek ends. Fir Creek finally joins the main Bull Run River near the top of Bull Run Reservoir 1.
How Much Water Flows?
Since 1975, the USGS has been measuring the amount of water in Fir Creek. They have a special station 0.6 miles (1 km) from where the creek joins the Bull Run River.
From 1975 to 2009, the creek's average flow was about 34.5 cubic feet per second (0.98 m3/s). This measurement comes from an area of about 6 square miles (16 km2) that drains into the creek. The most water ever recorded flowing through Fir Creek was 1,690 cubic feet per second (48 m3/s). This happened on November 25, 1999. The least amount of water recorded was 1.4 cubic feet per second (0.04 m3/s). This low flow occurred between September 5 and 7, 2003.
Fir Creek's Watershed
A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a single river or stream. Fir Creek is part of the larger Bull Run River watershed. This entire watershed covers about 139 square miles (360 km2).
The Bull Run River watershed is very important because it is the main source of drinking water for the city of Portland. Because of this, the area is mostly used for collecting, storing, and treating water. It is also used for managing the forests. The Fir Creek basin, which is the area that drains into Fir Creek, is about 6 square miles (16 km2). This is about 4 percent of the total Bull Run River watershed. The watershed is managed by the Portland Water Bureau and the United States Forest Service.
